Renault "will be happy if they could sneak in a podium" in 2019

New Sky Sports F1 pundit and former F1 driver Karun Chandhok thinks Renault aren't ready yet to compete with the top three teams in the constructors' championship, as the former HRT driver believes the French team is still "at least a year away from that".

Renault did finish fourth in the championship in 2018, their highest finish since coming back to the sport as a works team in 2016, but they still trailed third-placed Red Bull Racing by almost 300 points. The team has the ambition to close that gap, but has a long way to go, as they haven't yet recorded a podium finish since their comeback.

Speaking to The Checkered Flag, Karun Chandhok doesn't think the gap can be closed as soon as 2019, but he does think a surprise or two could be on the cards.

“I think they’re still at least a year away from that,” he said when asked if Renault could challenge the top three.

“If they could sneak in the odd podium on a good weekend for them and a bad weekend for one of the top teams, they’ll be happy with that.

“We have to assume that Ferrari and Mercedes are going to be competitive again, they have been for the last couple of years and hopefully they will be again,” he added.

“We know that the Red Bull chassis is very quick and if the Honda engine can deliver, then we might have three teams in the mix which should be brilliant for the sport.”

Renault completed the signing of Red Bull star driver Daniel Ricciardo, which could propel them closer, but according to Chandhok, 2019 is still too soon. What do you think? Can Renault actually start competing now, or are they too far back?